The intense 2025 wildfire season in B.C. means firefighters will face challenges in 2026 because of overwintering wildfires, also called holdover or zombie fires, that smoulder deep underground through the colder season. As they spread below the forest floor in the dried-out peat, the fires can ignite in spring, sparking new life into last season’s devastating blazes. Canada’s 2025 wildfire season was the second-worst on record after 2023, with more than 6,000 fires burning more than 83,000 square kilometres across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. In B.C., the season started early because of several zombie fires in the northeast region of the province, where fire officials say overwintering fires and underlying drought combined to create challenging conditions in April and May. …Scientists say climate change is making B.C.’s wildfire season longer and more intense as drought dries out the forest floor and heat waves become stronger.